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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. chest — of your body
  3. cell — in biology
  4. craft — a skill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. track — a song
  7. chest — a box
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. degree — temperature
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — from a university
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. degree — an amount
  18. cue — a hint
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cue — a signal
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. craft — boats

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