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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — finally
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bass — low music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in biology
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — final
  17. bass — the fish
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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