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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
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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: craft · field · press · dip · mug · bulb · arm · spell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — a subject
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — letters
  9. dip — to sink
  10. press — to push
  11. spell — magic
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. field — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — a publisher
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. craft — boats
  23. press — newspapers
  24. dip — to dunk

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