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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bound — certain
  5. tube — a container
  6. shower — rain
  7. craft — boats
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pop — music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rock — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — obliged
  24. tube — the underground

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