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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — a division
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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