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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. snap — to click
  3. toast — bread
  4. bank — of a river
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bark — to shout
  7. object — to protest
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. season — of the year
  10. craft — a skill
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — an aim
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — boats
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. toast — the most admired

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