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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. land — ground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. press — to push
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. press — newspapers
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. craft — a skill
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — a publisher
  18. land — to come down
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — a country
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. rash — a series
  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