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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — to rip
  10. firm — a company
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. craft — a skill
  13. spell — letters
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. tear — from crying
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. firm — decided
  24. firm — steady

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