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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rock — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. snap — to click
  11. rest — what's left
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — a weight

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