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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — for digging
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. last — finally
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. last — to go on
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. last — final
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. press — newspapers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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