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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. craft — a skill
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — final
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. press — a publisher
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. press — newspapers
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. row — a line
  14. press — to push
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stock — shares
  17. last — finally
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stock — goods
  22. last — to go on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. craft — boats

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