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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bowl — a football final

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