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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fall — the season
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. press — a publisher
  15. sharp — clever
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — help
  18. pop — music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — low music
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fall — to drop
  24. press — newspapers

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