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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. bank — of a river
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. march — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bank — for money
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. march — the month
  17. vault — a safe
  18. branch — a division
  19. bank — for money
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. march — the month
  24. branch — of a bank

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