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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 120 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 · press · tube · safe · fine · shower · rock · clip

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. fine — all right
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. press — a publisher
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. clip — a video
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. craft — a skill
  22. clip — to cut
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tube — a container

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