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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: spring · craft · jam · drill · sharp · lie · press · toast

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. press — to push
  3. drill — army training
  4. toast — bread
  5. spring — a coil
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — the season
  8. craft — boats
  9. drill — a practice
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. drill — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. spring — of water
  24. press — a publisher

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