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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. craft — boats
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — in music
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mark — to pay attention

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