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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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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: craft · tube · racket · toast · rest · snap · branch · cell

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — a container
  5. branch — a division
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cell — a phone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. craft — boats
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. cell — in biology
  17. snap — to click
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. tube — the underground
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — of a bank

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