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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: craft · arm · bass · rock · leaves · stick · tear · track

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bass — low music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. craft — a skill
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a song
  22. tear — to rip
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bass — the instrument

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