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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: kick · mug · craft · bore · land · toast · branch · hand

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bore — to tire
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. land — a country
  7. craft — boats
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. mug — a cup
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. hand — help
  15. mug — a face
  16. craft — a skill
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. bore — to drill
  20. land — ground
  21. branch — a division
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. kick — in football
  24. mug — to rob

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