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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fall — to drop
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. present — a gift
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — there
  17. branch — a division
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. fall — the season
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. craft — boats
  23. present — the time now
  24. branch — of a bank

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