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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.

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: craft · firm · lash · leaves · foot · season · chair · press

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. foot — a measure
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — a leader
  5. press — newspapers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. firm — decided
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. press — to push
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — boats
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. season — in sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. season — of the year
  18. craft — a skill
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — a professorship

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