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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — boats
  5. wind — moving air
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a skill
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a ring
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. branch — a division
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. band — a music group
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mug — a cup
  24. coach — a trainer

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