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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: stick · craft · temple · suit · current · lean · pop · press

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pop — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. press — newspapers
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. craft — boats
  12. press — a publisher
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. lean — thin
  15. press — to push
  16. pop — soda
  17. suit — clothes
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. suit — to fit
  24. craft — a skill

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