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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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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: season · pitcher · wound · tear · stick · press · wind · plane

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. tear — from crying
  4. season — in sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — to rip
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. press — to push
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. press — a publisher
  18. season — of the year
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wind — moving air
  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