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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. season — in sport
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — goods
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fall — the season
  14. press — to push
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — shares
  24. press — newspapers

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