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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tear — from crying
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. march — the month
  11. stem — to come from
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cue — a signal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cue — for pool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wake — a trail
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a hint
  20. march — music
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. safe — out of danger
  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