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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: chair · press · plane · craft · tube · mark · lie · race

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — to recline
  3. plane — a tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. press — to push
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — a grade
  15. craft — a skill
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. tube — a container
  18. craft — boats
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — humankind
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. chair — a leader

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