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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · staff · can · tear · stock · craft · drill · bank

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. staff — a stick
  3. stock — shares
  4. bank — of a river
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. tear — to rip
  7. can — to be able to
  8. staff — employees
  9. bank — for money
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. tear — from crying
  12. craft — a skill
  13. branch — a division
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. staff — employees
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — a practice
  21. stock — goods
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. can — a tin

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