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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. season — of the year
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — to sink
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. drill — a practice
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — to push
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. drill — the tool
  17. press — a publisher
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. press — newspapers
  22. march — the month
  23. season — in sport
  24. drill — army training

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