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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. foot — a measure
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rest — a break
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. hand — in cards
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. hand — help
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — a publisher
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. hand — part of the body

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