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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: drill · mine · branch · craft · bear · squash · mug · plane

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — a division
  4. drill — army training
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mug — to rob
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — a face
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — a cup
  17. drill — the tool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mine — for digging
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — the animal

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