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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — to bear
  5. clip — to cut
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — a video
  13. press — to push
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fork — in a road
  16. craft — boats
  17. deal — to handle
  18. press — newspapers
  19. clip — for paper
  20. rash — a series
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. craft — a skill
  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