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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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468
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: pound · tube · craft · spell · present · fine · fall · press

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fine — high quality
  3. press — to push
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — a container
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. press — newspapers
  15. tube — the underground
  16. present — the time now
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — all right
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. press — a publisher

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