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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pop — soda
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — final
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. pop — music
  17. branch — a division
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. last — finally
  20. craft — boats
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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