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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. press — to push
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — to breed
  15. track — a path
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mate — a friend
  18. press — newspapers
  19. track — a song
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. net — after costs

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