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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · date · craft · lash · branch · fine · bore · clip

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. fine — all right
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — to cut
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. date — the fruit
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — a division
  16. bore — to tire
  17. clip — a video
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bore — to drill
  22. clip — for paper
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. date — on the calendar

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