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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. clip — a video
  4. rash — a series
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ball — a great time
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. press — a publisher
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — boats
  11. clip — for paper
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. tube — a container
  14. rush — hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. clip — to cut
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tube — the underground
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. press — to push
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rash — hasty

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