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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spell — letters
  3. tear — to rip
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — magic
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — from crying
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — to push
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — a break
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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