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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. branch — a division
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. object — to protest
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. object — a thing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a skill
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. scale — size or range
  15. band — a ring
  16. craft — boats
  17. bank — for money
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. band — a music group
  21. object — an aim
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cell — in biology
  24. scale — in music

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