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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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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: calf · press · lie · craft · last · pit · leaves · snap

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. craft — a skill
  3. last — final
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — finally
  7. snap — to click
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — in a race
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — to push
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — boats
  24. last — to go on

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