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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. clip — for paper
  11. last — finally
  12. clip — to cut
  13. tear — to rip
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — goods
  17. ground — a position
  18. last — to go on
  19. press — newspapers
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — final
  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