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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
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: lean · temple · sharp · bat · ruler · tear · bore · press

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — thin
  4. bore — to drill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. press — a publisher
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bore — to tire
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bat — for baseball
  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