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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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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: ground · rest · craft · sharp · mug · cap · bank · branch

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. branch — of a tree
  2. ground — crushed
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mug — a face
  5. cap — a hat
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — to rob
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — for money
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cap — a lid
  18. cap — of ice
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rest — a break
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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