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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 120 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: mark · saw · bound · wind · foot · stick · tear · press

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bound — tied together
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bound — certain
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tear — from crying
  16. press — newspapers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. foot — a measure
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — obliged
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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