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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: bay · mate · craft · stick · press · drill

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

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

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