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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · bear · wave · clip · root · branch · net · band

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a music group
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — for paper
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. root — of a word
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bear — the animal
  18. net — after costs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — boats
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. band — a ring

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