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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mug — a face
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. last — finally
  8. bank — for money
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wound — an injury
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mug — a cup
  23. craft — boats
  24. prune — to trim

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