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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 is an ace ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chest — a box
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. row — to paddle
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. branch — a division
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. row — a line
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bound — certain
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bound — tied together
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bound — obliged

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