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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. drill — a practice
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. drill — army training
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. branch — a division
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. craft — boats
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. drill — the tool
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — a subject
  19. rush — hurry
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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