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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — letters
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. craft — a skill
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitch — completely
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. spell — magic
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mark — a grade

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