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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — for betting
  4. craft — boats
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. mate — a partner
  8. present — the time now
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — there
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mate — a friend
  19. branch — a division
  20. net — after costs
  21. snap — to click
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wax — to grow

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