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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: firm · craft · hand · mate · branch · chip · tear · sharp

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. branch — a division
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. hand — help
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. tear — from crying
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. tear — to rip
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. craft — boats
  23. mate — to breed
  24. sharp — clever

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