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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. spring — the season
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. row — a line
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — of water
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fork — in a road
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. row — a quarrel

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