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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: fine · cabinet · lean · content · bore · face · branch · craft

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — to point toward
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. content — the amount
  19. lean — to bend
  20. content — happy
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. branch — a division

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