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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 120 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 · fall · drill · press · fork · calf

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fall — to drop
  6. craft — a skill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. press — newspapers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fall — the season
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — army training
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — boats

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