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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 116 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: nail · capital · craft · rash · branch · spring · bulb · coach

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spring — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. capital — money
  10. spring — a coil
  11. branch — a division
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. capital — a city
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. spring — the season

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