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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: bowl · craft · branch · temple · firm · cue · season · snap

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. firm — steady
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — a skill
  7. branch — a division
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. firm — decided
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cue — for pool
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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