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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rash — a series
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — part of the head
  23. press — to push
  24. rest — what's left

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