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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bass — the fish
  3. tear — from crying
  4. hand — help
  5. rest — a break
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. press — newspapers
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tear — to rip
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. degree — from a university
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — to push
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — a publisher
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com