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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — boats
  4. land — a country
  5. press — a publisher
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. last — to go on
  9. press — to push
  10. last — final
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. land — ground
  13. last — finally
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. craft — a skill
  20. field — a subject
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  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