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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — there
  4. wind — moving air
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wind — moving air
  10. craft — boats
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — a gift
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — the time now
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. charge — a price
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. branch — a division
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — of a tree

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