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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — newspapers
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mine — for digging
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. press — to push
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. season — of the year

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