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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
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: craft · face · wound · mark · pitcher · straw · pass · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. craft — boats
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to point toward
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mark — a grade

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