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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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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: last · lash · craft · spring · shower · content · branch · lie

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. last — to go on
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — of water
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — boats
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. craft — a skill
  13. shower — rain
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. shower — to wash
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. content — the amount
  21. last — final
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lash — to lash out

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