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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  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. craft — boats
  2. press — newspapers
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. sharp — clever
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. foot — a measure
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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