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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — to crush
  4. last — to go on
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. craft — a skill
  11. swing — in golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. swing — to play on
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. craft — boats
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. last — final
  21. squash — the sport
  22. last — finally
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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