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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. branch — a division
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stand — to bear
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. craft — a skill
  10. tear — to rip
  11. bound — tied together
  12. tear — from crying
  13. last — to go on
  14. craft — boats
  15. charge — electricity
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — certain
  18. last — final
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — in control
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — 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