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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — for catching
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. craft — boats
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. net — in sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — after costs
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bark — to shout
  23. craft — a skill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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