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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: staff · squash · foot · present · mouse · craft · branch · rest

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. foot — a measure
  3. present — a gift
  4. staff — a stick
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. branch — a division
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. squash — the sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. present — there
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. craft — boats
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. staff — employees
  21. rest — a break
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — the time now
  24. mouse — the animal

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