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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 · lie · stick · row · cell · scale · mark · press

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. scale — in music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cell — a phone
  13. row — to paddle
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. press — newspapers

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