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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: land · craft · wave · firm · capital · coach · branch · last

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — a division
  3. last — final
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. firm — a company
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — boats
  9. land — ground
  10. last — finally
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — to go on
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — steady
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — a country
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. capital — money
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. capital — a city
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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