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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pit — in a race
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rule — government
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. prune — to trim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — a hole
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. snap — to click
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. craft — boats
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. prune — the fruit

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