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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bound — certain
  3. branch — a division
  4. land — to come down
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. land — ground
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — a country
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — a trail
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — tied together
  23. club — a group
  24. lie — to recline

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