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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 116 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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. tear — to rip
  5. fine — all right
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. press — to push
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — a publisher
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. press — newspapers
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stock — shares
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. dip — to dunk

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