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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: press · fine · mine · craft · pop · saw · cabinet · fall

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. press — to push
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — soda
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. press — a publisher
  17. saw — the tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fine — all right
  20. fall — to drop
  21. craft — boats
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fall — the season

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