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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. spring — the season
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. squash — the sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — a measure
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. spring — of water
  16. craft — boats
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. kid — child
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — to tease
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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