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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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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: date · land · press · capital · wave · craft · rest · deal

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. land — to come down
  3. press — newspapers
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. press — to push
  9. capital — a city
  10. land — ground
  11. craft — boats
  12. deal — to handle
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. capital — money
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rest — a break
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. land — a country

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