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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. content — the amount
  7. net — after costs
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. fall — the season
  11. branch — a division
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. net — in sport
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. content — happy
  20. net — for catching
  21. fall — to drop
  22. season — in sport
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. craft — a skill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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