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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 120 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: pit · present · stick · kick · branch · plane · craft · mate

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. branch — a division
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — a skill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. present — there
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. plane — a tool
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. present — a gift

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