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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — electric
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. branch — a division
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. craft — boats
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — the tool
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. bowl — a football final

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