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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bound — tied together
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bound — certain
  7. last — finally
  8. press — a publisher
  9. ball — a dance
  10. press — newspapers
  11. last — final
  12. face — part of the head
  13. craft — boats
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. press — to push
  18. stock — goods
  19. last — to go on
  20. face — to confront
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stock — shares
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bound — obliged

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