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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. branch — a division
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. date — the fruit
  17. craft — boats
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. craft — a skill

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