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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. can — a tin
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — boats
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hand — help
  14. branch — a division
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fine — all right
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fine — high quality
  23. stem — to come from
  24. craft — a skill

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