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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — of a word
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — to wash
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. hand — in cards
  18. craft — boats
  19. root — the cause
  20. root — of a plant
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. vault — a safe
  23. craft — a skill
  24. shower — rain

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