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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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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: rest · fork · lash · object · craft · drill · branch · temple

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. drill — the tool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. object — a thing
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — army training
  12. rest — what's left
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rest — a break
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fork — in a road
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. object — an aim
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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