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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 116 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: tear · firm · fan · object · kick · pitcher · press · pass

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pass — a permit
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kick — in football
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — a company
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. firm — steady
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. firm — decided
  18. object — to protest
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. object — a thing
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. object — an aim

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