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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.

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: object · craft · foot · fork · stock · press · lie · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. object — an aim
  3. press — to push
  4. press — newspapers
  5. stock — goods
  6. object — a thing
  7. stock — shares
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mug — a face
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. object — to protest
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fork — in a road
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. craft — boats
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. fork — a garden tool

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