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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: snap · lash · land · craft · scale · branch · cabinet · pass

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. snap — to click
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. land — ground
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. land — to come down
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — a permit
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — size or range
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — a country
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. scale — for weighing

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