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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. firm — decided
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kid — to tease
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. sharp — clever
  8. press — to push
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — newspapers
  12. lean — thin
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — a publisher
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. kid — child
  20. firm — a company
  21. spring — of water
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. craft — a skill

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