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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — to push
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. press — newspapers
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. rule — a law
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. tear — to rip
  24. court — for sport

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