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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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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: fall · race · content · deal · branch · craft · cabinet · plane

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. content — the amount
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. race — the arms race
  5. deal — to handle
  6. plane — a tool
  7. branch — a division
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. race — humankind
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. fall — the season
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. craft — a skill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. race — a contest
  24. deal — a big deal

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