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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · rash · cabinet · racket · tear · row · lean · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — for digging
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. row — a line
  7. tear — from crying
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lean — thin
  15. rash — a series
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. row — to paddle
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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