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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · drill · scale · press · craft · bay

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. mate — a partner
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mate — a friend
  7. press — a publisher
  8. scale — size or range
  9. craft — boats
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mate — to breed
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training

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