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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — to push
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — a measure
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. row — a line
  10. current — of water
  11. craft — boats
  12. dip — to sink
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a music group
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. row — to paddle
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — newspapers

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