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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. craft — boats
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. net — for catching
  12. rush — hurry
  13. net — in sport
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. craft — a skill
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. net — after costs
  21. branch — a division
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rush — a thrill

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