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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a tool
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. craft — a skill
  9. file — a document
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. craft — boats
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hand — help
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — a grade
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. hand — in cards

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