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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — thin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. craft — boats
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bound — tied together
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bear — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. bound — certain
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — ground
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. land — to come down

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