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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mark — a trace
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. craft — boats
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pitcher — a jug

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