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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — a subject
  4. squash — the sport
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — a skill
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. craft — boats
  12. mark — a grade
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. press — a publisher
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — to push
  22. squash — to crush
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. field — farmland

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