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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 120 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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — the earth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. craft — a skill
  5. press — to push
  6. tear — from crying
  7. ground — a position
  8. tear — from crying
  9. suit — to fit
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — a stone
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fork — in a road
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — a publisher
  24. tear — to rip

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