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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · jam · lie · ball · press · bowl · toast · tear

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. firm — decided
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. press — a publisher
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. firm — steady
  13. ball — a dance
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — newspapers
  20. firm — a company
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. press — to push
  23. toast — bread
  24. ball — a great time

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