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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. craft — a skill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. staff — employees
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. staff — employees
  14. cold — not warm
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. branch — a division

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