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

Word bank: bear · toast · fork · lie · craft · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. fork — in a road
  15. lie — to recline
  16. press — to push
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal

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