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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lie — to recline
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. press — to push
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. craft — boats
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chest — a box
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fork — in a road
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — hurry
  24. press — a publisher

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