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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. last — finally
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spring — the season
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. spring — a coil
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. press — to push
  19. last — final
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spring — of water
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — to pay attention

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