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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 120 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. hand — in cards
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — rain
  15. press — to push
  16. present — the time now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — part of the body

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