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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tear — to rip
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tear — from crying
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. press — a publisher
  10. land — ground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — the season
  13. tear — from crying
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — a country
  16. press — newspapers
  17. spring — of water
  18. craft — boats
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. land — to come down
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. press — to push

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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