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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: date · craft · wake · roll · hide · rash · object · press

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. press — newspapers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — a publisher
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. roll — a list
  12. date — the fruit
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. press — to push
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. date — on the calendar

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