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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. press — to push
  3. spring — a coil
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. spring — the season
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. press — newspapers
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. spring — of water
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fork — in a road
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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