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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · capital · bear · foot · last · ruler · plane

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. foot — a measure
  4. capital — money
  5. press — to push
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bear — the animal
  13. craft — a skill
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — a publisher
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — finally
  20. capital — a city
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. foot — the bottom

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