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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 116 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: spell · net · craft · press · present · fine · content · cabinet

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — there
  4. net — after costs
  5. present — a gift
  6. content — happy
  7. press — to push
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — magic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — in sport
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. press — a publisher
  14. content — the amount
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. fine — high quality
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. present — the time now
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — for catching

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