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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — a line
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. craft — boats
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. press — newspapers
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fork — in a road
  22. nail — for a hammer
  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