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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: jam · dip · tear · craft · stand · lash · capital · press

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. tear — to rip
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — boats
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. capital — money
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stand — to bear
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tear — from crying
  15. capital — a city
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — a skill
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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