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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: clip · branch · rock · roll · tube · craft · snap · rash

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. roll — a list
  7. clip — for paper
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rash — hasty
  10. clip — to cut
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — a video
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. roll — a cake
  22. snap — to click
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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