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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. squash — to crush
  4. field — for sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. drill — a practice
  7. can — a tin
  8. drill — the tool
  9. hand — in cards
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. field — farmland
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — to be able to
  15. craft — a skill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. snap — to click
  19. drill — army training
  20. can — a tin
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. craft — boats
  24. squash — the sport

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