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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: leaves · hand · craft · mate · object · branch · last · pit

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. craft — boats
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. branch — a division
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — in a race
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. last — finally
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. object — an aim
  16. last — final
  17. craft — a skill
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. last — to go on
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pit — a hole
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — help

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