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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: wake · suit · file · mate · field · press · craft · cap

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a friend
  4. field — farmland
  5. cap — a hat
  6. file — a line of people
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cap — of ice
  9. suit — to fit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mate — to breed
  14. file — a document
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. craft — boats
  24. field — for sport

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