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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wound — an injury
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — to go on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. can — to be able to
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. can — a tin
  13. tear — from crying
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — a tin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. rock — music
  19. press — to push
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. last — finally
  23. tear — to rip
  24. last — final

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