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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: craft · jam · land · press · last · rush · hide · date

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. date — the fruit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. rush — hurry
  5. land — to come down
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. last — finally
  8. land — ground
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. last — final
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. press — newspapers
  13. last — to go on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. land — a country
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. craft — boats
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. craft — a skill

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