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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stand — to bear
  6. file — a document
  7. kid — child
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a tool
  10. prune — to trim
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — newspapers
  21. prune — to trim
  22. file — a line of people
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — boats

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