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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. craft — a skill
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. branch — a division
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — in a road
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. content — happy
  17. ball — a dance
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. content — the amount
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — to protest

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