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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rock — music
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a skill
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. rock — a stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. press — newspapers

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