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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: lash · present · branch · bank · firm · craft · pass · file

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — decided
  3. craft — a skill
  4. present — a gift
  5. firm — steady
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. present — the time now
  12. craft — boats
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — a permit
  21. firm — a company
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bank — of a river
  24. present — there

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