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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
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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: firm · hand · press · dip · mine · tear · roll · perch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tear — to rip
  5. press — newspapers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. press — to push
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — from crying
  14. dip — to sink
  15. roll — a list
  16. press — a publisher
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mine — for digging
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. perch — the fish
  24. firm — steady

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