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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. craft — boats
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mug — a face
  8. lean — thin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bank — for money
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bank — for money
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chest — a box
  19. bank — of a river
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. press — to push
  22. chest — of your body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. craft — a skill

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