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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 120 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: trunk · calf · lie · craft · cold · mark · sharp · press

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cold — not warm
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — an illness
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. press — a publisher
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. lie — to recline

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