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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: rush · craft · last · hide · rock · branch · cell · court

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. last — finally
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. court — for sport
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — a skill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. craft — boats
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — of law
  16. last — to go on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. last — final
  19. rock — a stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. branch — a division
  24. rush — hurry

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