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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bank — for money
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. clip — for paper
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bank — of a river
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. clip — a video
  12. file — a document
  13. bank — for money
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. clip — to cut
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. 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