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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 120 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — a publisher
  3. object — to protest
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stock — shares
  7. object — an aim
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. object — a thing
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — all right
  14. stock — goods
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — a position
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — crushed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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