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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bass — the fish
  6. capital — a city
  7. scale — in music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. mate — a friend
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — money
  17. craft — boats
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bass — low music
  21. mate — to breed
  22. lean — thin
  23. craft — a skill
  24. temple — side of the head

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