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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.

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: drill · craft · snap · suit · lie · squash · press · spell

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — magic
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a skill
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spell — letters
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. press — a publisher
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. craft — boats
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. drill — army training
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — a short time
  21. suit — to fit
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. squash — the sport
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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