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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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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: cell · hand · rule · craft · kid · spell · racket · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cell — in biology
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rule — a law
  8. spell — magic
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. hand — in cards
  13. kid — child
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cell — a phone
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. craft — boats
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — help

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