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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. craft — a skill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rash — hasty
  8. staff — employees
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. branch — a division
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — a series
  17. craft — boats
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — a tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — part of the body

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