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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. charge — a price
  3. file — a line of people
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. charge — electricity
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — boats
  12. branch — a division
  13. file — a tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a document
  24. branch — of a tree

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