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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. row — a line
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. branch — a division
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chair — a leader
  17. row — to paddle
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. craft — boats
  24. hide — animal skin

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