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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. press — to push
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. press — newspapers
  12. craft — boats
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wind — moving air
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pit — a hole

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