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

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. 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. hand — in cards
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — to shout
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. craft — boats
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wind — moving air
  18. 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