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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tear — from crying
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — music
  8. branch — a division
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pop — to visit
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bore — to drill
  17. band — a music group
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tear — to rip
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. mark — a grade

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