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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spring — the season
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. game — a match
  8. spring — a coil
  9. track — a song
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spring — of water
  13. track — to keep track
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. craft — a skill
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. track — a path
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. branch — a division

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