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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — boats
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — in sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. kick — in football
  10. branch — a division
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. saw — the tool
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. season — of the year

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