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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. squash — the sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. sharp — clever
  12. craft — a skill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — to crush
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — in music
  19. spell — magic
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. key — for a lock

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