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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — a division
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. craft — boats
  6. pop — to visit
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pop — soda
  17. shower — to wash
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — rain
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. tube — the underground
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pop — music
  24. craft — a skill

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