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

Word bank: nail · craft · firm · bulb · chair · branch · wake · squash

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — decided
  5. wake — a trail
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. craft — boats
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — a division
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. firm — a company
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. squash — the sport
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — to sit on

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