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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — a division
  4. object — an aim
  5. bat — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. craft — boats
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pop — music
  17. object — to protest
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. craft — a skill
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pop — to visit
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. jam — a tight spot

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