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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.

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: march · can · press · cue · tear · rush · saw · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. saw — the tool
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. march — the month
  10. can — a tin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. march — the month
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — hurry
  17. march — music
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tear — to rip
  23. can — to be able to
  24. cell — in biology

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