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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.

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: press · land · file · craft · mark · saw · fan · bowl

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. press — to push
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. file — a tool
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. craft — boats
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. land — a country
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. land — to come down
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. file — a document
  21. mark — a trace
  22. land — ground
  23. mark — a grade
  24. press — newspapers

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