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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tear — from crying
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. press — newspapers
  17. wound — an injury
  18. staff — a stick
  19. tear — to rip
  20. press — to push
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wound — an injury
  24. staff — employees

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