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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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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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — for light
  4. clip — to cut
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — an injury
  7. clip — a video
  8. club — for dancing
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. clip — for paper
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. charge — a price
  15. club — a group
  16. branch — a division
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. club — for golf
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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