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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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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: sharp · craft · fork · nail · press · kid · present · branch

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. present — the time now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — to push
  9. kid — child
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. craft — boats
  12. present — there
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fork — in a road
  16. press — a publisher
  17. present — a gift
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. branch — a division
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. press — newspapers
  24. kid — to tease

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