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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · mate · land · plane · object · press · fall · rest

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. land — a country
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — a thing
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fall — the season
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rest — what's left
  9. press — newspapers
  10. rest — a break
  11. fall — to drop
  12. press — to push
  13. mate — a friend
  14. press — a publisher
  15. object — an aim
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. object — to protest
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rest — what's left
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — ground
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — a handicraft

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