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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: sharp · press · leaves · pitcher · tear · toast · chest · wave

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. press — to push
  5. chest — a box
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. toast — bread
  11. chest — of your body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. chest — of your body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — with your hand

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