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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: land · craft · branch · bear · press · rash · wave · wake

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — a country
  4. branch — a division
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. rash — hasty
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — to push
  23. land — to come down
  24. bear — to put up with

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