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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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. craft — a skill
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lean — to bend
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cold — not warm
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. press — to push
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — a face
  23. lean — thin
  24. bowl — a football final

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