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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. swing — music
  3. branch — a division
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. swing — to play on
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — for light
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — exactly

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