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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.

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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: suit · cold · net · press · craft · spring · safe · rock

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rock — music
  3. spring — the season
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a skill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — of water
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — to push
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. suit — to fit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. suit — in cards
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. net — for catching
  20. craft — boats
  21. net — in sport
  22. cold — not warm
  23. net — after costs
  24. cold — the Cold War

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