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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. craft — boats
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bound — certain
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. branch — a division
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — a container
  15. chest — a box
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mark — a trace
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bass — low music
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. craft — a skill

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