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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. drill — a practice
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. current — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. last — to go on
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. craft — boats
  18. drill — the tool
  19. last — final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — electric
  24. drill — army training

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