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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. staff — a stick
  3. hand — in cards
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. hand — help
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. staff — employees
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — a division
  17. press — to push
  18. firm — decided
  19. tear — to rip
  20. plane — a tool
  21. staff — employees
  22. press — newspapers
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. tear — from crying

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