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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. lean — to bend
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. cap — of ice
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — a division
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pit — a hole
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. march — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — a hat
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. march — the month
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. arm — part of the body

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