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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: craft · fork · toast · hide · press · rock

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rock — music
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. craft — a skill
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret

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