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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — to push
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. object — a thing
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — a trace
  10. object — an aim
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. craft — boats
  15. wake — a trail
  16. drill — army training
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — a grade
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — the tool

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