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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bound — certain
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. charge — in control
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bound — obliged
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bore — to tire
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. charge — a price
  24. bound — tied together

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