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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.

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
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: craft · season · stick · squash · press · mug · plane · degree

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. press — a publisher
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. press — to push
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mug — to rob
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. season — in sport
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a skill
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. mug — a cup
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — boats

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