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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a friend
  3. date — the fruit
  4. current — electric
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stand — to bear
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mate — to breed
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mate — a partner
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. craft — boats
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. current — happening now
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — of water
  21. craft — a skill
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. press — a publisher

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