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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bear — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. branch — of a tree

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