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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bark — to shout
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. present — there
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. dip — to sink
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. present — a gift
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. clip — to cut
  19. present — the time now
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. clip — a video
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. dip — a sauce

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