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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. press — to push
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. craft — a skill
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. pop — soda
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. vault — a safe
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. branch — a division
  19. pop — music
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. press — newspapers
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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