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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mate — to breed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — boats
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. land — a country
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mate — a friend
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. craft — a skill
  16. branch — a division
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rash — a series
  24. land — ground

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