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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. current — electric
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. current — of water
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. current — happening now
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. craft — boats
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. craft — a skill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. capital — money
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — a young animal

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