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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: craft · branch · scale · bear · present · fall · rush · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. present — there
  3. fall — to drop
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — boats
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. present — the time now
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pop — music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — a gift
  20. fall — the season
  21. rush — hurry
  22. scale — in music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bear — to put up with

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