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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. current — electric
  7. net — in sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. march — music
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — the month
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — of water
  21. march — the month
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. net — for catching

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