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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. fork — in a road
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. hand — in cards
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ball — a dance
  10. press — to push
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. hand — help
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. craft — boats
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a great time

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