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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pit — in a race
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. craft — boats
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. craft — a skill
  24. plane — a tool

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