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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 · mine · chair · tube · press · mouse · pit · hand

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — boats
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. craft — a skill
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — in a race
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. press — to push
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — a container
  18. press — newspapers
  19. hand — help
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. mine — for digging
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — in cards

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