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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: track · chest · snap · craft · branch · bound · mouse · bulb

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. track — a song
  5. chest — of your body
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — tied together
  9. craft — a skill
  10. track — a path
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. chest — of your body
  21. snap — to click
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. chest — a box
  24. track — to keep track

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