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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: press · craft · last · pass · bank · cabinet

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. press — to push
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bank — for money
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — finally
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bank — for money
  18. last — to go on

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