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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. craft — boats
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wake — a trail
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wind — moving air
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. key — the most important part
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. prune — to trim

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