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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: present · wax · kick · branch · stick · game · last · craft

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. branch — a division
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. game — a match
  8. present — the time now
  9. wax — to grow
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. present — there
  14. craft — boats
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. last — final

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