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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
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: craft · stock · wake · clip · press · land · suit · fine

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. suit — in cards
  6. stock — goods
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — a country
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. clip — a video
  17. suit — clothes
  18. clip — for paper
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stock — shares
  21. fine — all right
  22. press — to push
  23. fine — high quality
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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