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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: craft · cell · cap · race · net · nail · press · dip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. cap — of ice
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — boats
  7. press — to push
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. race — humankind
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. race — the arms race
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — a contest
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. net — in sport
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cap — a hat

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