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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 116 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: press · staff · firm · fork · craft · hide · spring · last

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. craft — boats
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. fork — in a road
  5. staff — a stick
  6. last — final
  7. spring — of water
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — the season
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. last — to go on
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. last — finally
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — to push
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — newspapers
  19. craft — a skill
  20. firm — steady
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — a publisher
  24. staff — employees

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