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

Word bank: staff · tear · vault · bore · branch · wind · press · rule

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. staff — a stick
  10. rule — government
  11. bore — to tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. branch — a division
  15. vault — a safe
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rule — a law
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. staff — employees
  22. press — to push
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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