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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wound — an injury
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bank — for money
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. race — a contest
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. spell — magic

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