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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 116 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. can — a tin
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ground — crushed
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ground — a position
  12. lie — to recline
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — boats
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mate — a partner

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