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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 124 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 spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rash — a series
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — hasty
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bark — to shout
  12. firm — a company
  13. file — a line of people
  14. board — a committee
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. file — a document
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. firm — decided
  21. file — a tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — steady

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