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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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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: hand · ruler · saw · press · pass · tear · wind · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — decided
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. firm — steady
  22. press — newspapers
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wind — to turn a key

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