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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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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. press — newspapers
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. press — to push

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