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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. rash — a series
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mine — for digging
  9. ball — a dance
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. stand — to bear
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a great time
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. rash — hasty
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. craft — a skill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. craft — boats
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. ball — a round shape

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