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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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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 · wax · ground · sharp · craft · jam · present · kick

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — a position
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — crushed
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — to grow
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. present — the time now
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. ground — the earth
  18. sharp — clever
  19. present — there
  20. craft — boats
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. sharp — with an edge

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