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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. face — to confront
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bank — for money
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. snap — to click
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. craft — a skill
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. press — a publisher
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. swing — to play on
  24. craft — boats

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