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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mate — a partner
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — boats
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mate — a friend
  12. branch — a division
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bound — obliged
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bark — to shout
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mate — to breed

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