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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. track — a path
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — to push
  8. spring — the season
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. track — a song
  11. press — newspapers
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spring — of water
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rest — a break
  17. craft — boats
  18. deal — to handle
  19. kid — child
  20. pit — in a race
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kid — to tease
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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