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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: foot · roll · press · mug · race · leaves · net · craft

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mug — a face
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. press — a publisher
  9. craft — a skill
  10. race — the arms race
  11. press — newspapers
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mug — a cup
  14. net — in sport
  15. race — a contest
  16. craft — boats
  17. mug — to rob
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. net — after costs
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — a measure
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. roll — a list

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