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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. craft — boats
  12. rush — hurry
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. press — to push
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stand — to bear
  24. land — a country

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