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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rule — government
  17. craft — boats
  18. stem — to come from
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — a law
  21. stand — to bear
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stem — a stem cell

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