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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.

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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 · pass · scale · hand · press · mine · pop · wave

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. craft — a skill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — for digging
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. craft — boats
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. press — to push
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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