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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: can · roll · rock · chest · ruler · tear · fine · press

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rock — music
  4. chest — a box
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fine — all right
  15. press — to push
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — from crying
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. chest — of your body
  24. can — a tin

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