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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — a division
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — boats
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — a friend
  7. drill — a practice
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mate — a partner
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. swing — to play on
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — to recline
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — a city
  20. swing — music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — a skill

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