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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. dip — to sink
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. craft — boats
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. season — of the year
  8. foot — a measure
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. branch — a division
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. season — in sport
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rush — hurry
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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