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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — farmland
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. press — newspapers
  8. field — for sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stock — goods
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. press — to push
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rock — music
  20. stock — shares
  21. field — a subject
  22. kick — in football
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — a publisher

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