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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. content — the amount
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. degree — an amount
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bank — for money
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. content — happy

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