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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mate — a friend
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pound — a weight
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tear — to rip
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tear — from crying
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. press — a publisher
  21. hand — help
  22. stem — to come from
  23. tear — from crying
  24. press — to push

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