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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. firm — a company
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. club — for dancing
  9. spell — letters
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. firm — decided
  12. plane — a tool
  13. tear — to rip
  14. press — to push
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. club — a group
  17. spell — a short time
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — to sink
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — for golf
  24. dip — a sauce

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