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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: mark · lean · ball · bear · craft · swing · branch · wake

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. swing — music
  3. ball — a great time
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. swing — to play on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mark — a trace
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mark — a grade
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. lean — thin
  20. ball — a dance
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — to bend
  24. craft — a handicraft

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