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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 120 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. branch — a division
  5. land — a country
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. track — a song
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. craft — boats
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. land — ground
  22. track — a path
  23. land — to come down
  24. bowl — to roll

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