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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bank — for money
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bank — of a river
  6. drill — a practice
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. craft — a skill
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. branch — a division
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. press — a publisher
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. drill — army training
  23. bank — for money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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