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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mark — a trace
  3. craft — boats
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. branch — a division
  7. root — of a word
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lie — to recline
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ball — a dance
  20. root — the cause
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a skill

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