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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. kid — child
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — to tease
  6. present — there
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. craft — a skill
  14. present — the time now
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. press — a publisher
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. press — to push

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