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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 120 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: rash · chair · craft · firm · clip · cell · branch · drill

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. clip — for paper
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. clip — to cut
  10. chair — a leader
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. firm — steady
  15. craft — boats
  16. firm — a company
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. drill — army training
  19. rash — hasty
  20. drill — a practice
  21. cell — in biology
  22. rash — a series
  23. clip — a video
  24. cell — a phone

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