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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — the time now
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a leader
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. band — a ring
  8. plane — a tool
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — hurry
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. press — to push
  15. band — a music group
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — a skill
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chair — to sit on

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