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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 cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. pit — in a race
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bank — for money

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