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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: pop · game · wind · press · craft · cabinet · tear · mark

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. press — newspapers
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tear — to rip
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. tear — from crying
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pop — music
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. press — to push

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