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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lean — to bend
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — magic
  8. lean — thin
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — letters
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. capital — a city
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. capital — money
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rush — hurry
  23. coach — a trainer
  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