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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. press — to push
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — a song
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. tear — from crying
  19. present — a gift
  20. tear — to rip
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — a hat

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