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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. game — a match
  7. bank — for money
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — an aim
  11. fine — high quality
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. craft — a skill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fine — all right
  22. bank — for money
  23. object — to protest
  24. craft — a handicraft

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