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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 116 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. court — of law
  5. march — music
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. branch — a division
  8. march — the month
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. court — for sport
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. court — of a king
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — a phone
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. cell — in biology

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