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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: press · ruler · can · bay · tear · swing · pitcher · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — to be able to
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. can — a tin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. swing — to play on
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. swing — music
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tear — from crying

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