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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ground — a position
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stem — to come from
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed

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