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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tear — from crying
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stock — goods
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. tear — to rip
  24. stock — shares

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