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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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — a division
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. kick — in football
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. tear — from crying
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. ball — a dance
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. ball — a great time

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