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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: sharp · hide · ball · lash · craft · branch · bound · date

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bound — tied together
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — a skill
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. date — the fruit
  9. branch — a division
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bound — obliged
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. craft — boats
  23. bound — certain
  24. sharp — with an edge

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