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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. sharp — clever
  4. face — part of the head
  5. row — to paddle
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. press — newspapers
  15. net — in sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. net — for catching
  19. craft — boats
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. craft — a skill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. row — a line
  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