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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. suit — in cards
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rule — a law
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — a skill
  11. press — to push
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. craft — boats
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. firm — decided
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bass — low music
  20. suit — clothes
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — the fish
  24. rule — government

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