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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: branch · spring · craft · press · foot · saw · firm · racket

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. foot — a measure
  3. press — to push
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. craft — a skill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — a coil
  9. press — a publisher
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spring — of water
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. firm — a company
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. press — newspapers
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — a division
  20. firm — steady
  21. spring — the season
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. firm — decided
  24. saw — the tool

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