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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — hasty
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spring — of water
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. branch — a division
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bound — obliged
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rash — a series
  18. spring — the season
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. craft — boats
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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