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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. fine — high quality
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mate — a partner
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rock — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fine — all right
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — of a tree

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