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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. rush — hurry
  3. snap — to click
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a grade
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — thin
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. lean — to bend
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lean — to rest against

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