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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. tear — from crying
  3. march — music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. march — the month
  6. object — a thing
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — to protest
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. press — a publisher
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. object — an aim
  24. march — the month

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