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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: press · lie · bat · plane · craft · club · rush · calf

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — a group
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. plane — a tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — to push
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — for golf
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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