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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tear — to rip
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. press — a publisher
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. season — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tear — from crying
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tear — from crying
  14. face — part of the head
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. vault — a safe
  17. press — newspapers
  18. face — to point toward
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — a match
  22. face — to confront
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — to push

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