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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 124 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. field — for sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a ring
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. craft — boats
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — farmland
  17. fall — the season
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — a subject
  22. band — a music group
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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