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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. branch — a division
  3. lean — thin
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cue — for pool
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. roll — a cake
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. craft — boats
  14. sharp — clever
  15. roll — a list
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. drill — army training
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a hint
  21. craft — a skill
  22. lean — to bend
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. tear — from crying

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