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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 116 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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bore — to tire
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. press — to push
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to drill
  22. press — a publisher
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. hide — to keep secret

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