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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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468
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 · fine · root · bat · tear · hand · fall · press

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. root — of a plant
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fall — to drop
  6. tear — from crying
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tear — to rip
  12. root — the cause
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. bat — the animal
  16. fall — the season
  17. press — to push
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — help
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — all right

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