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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: rush · can · date · branch · craft · clip · stick · bulb

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. clip — for paper
  3. date — the fruit
  4. craft — boats
  5. can — a tin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. clip — a video
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — a skill

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