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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · chair · rest · saw · bark · press

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rest — what's left
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rest — a break
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. press — a publisher

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