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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. plane — a tool
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. press — to push
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. press — a publisher
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. stock — goods
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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