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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. craft — a skill
  3. press — a publisher
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bat — the animal
  13. stock — goods
  14. plane — a tool
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — boats
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. press — to push
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stock — shares
  24. sharp — with an edge

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