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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. press — to push
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. march — the month
  17. row — a line
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — newspapers
  20. object — a thing
  21. row — to paddle
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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