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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.

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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: staff · leaves · rash · press · bear · key · tear · race

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. rash — hasty
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. press — a publisher
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. bear — the animal
  9. press — to push
  10. key — for a lock
  11. tear — from crying
  12. staff — a stick
  13. press — newspapers
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — a contest
  16. bear — the animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rash — a series
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. staff — employees
  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