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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: firm · cell · press · roll · craft · foot

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. press — to push
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. craft — a skill
  11. roll — a cake
  12. firm — decided
  13. craft — boats
  14. firm — a company
  15. press — a publisher
  16. firm — steady
  17. foot — a measure
  18. cell — in a prison

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