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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: season · track · craft · bay · pitcher · wound · press · tear

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — in sport
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. tear — to rip
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. craft — boats
  17. tear — from crying
  18. craft — a skill
  19. track — to keep track
  20. press — to push
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. track — a song
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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