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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. craft — boats
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. branch — a division
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — from crying
  23. rush — hurry
  24. hide — to keep secret

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