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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — newspapers
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. press — a publisher
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — thin
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. nail — for a hammer

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