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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. degree — from a university
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — boats
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. mug — a face
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wind — moving air
  18. craft — a skill
  19. degree — temperature
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. saw — the tool
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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