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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — the fish
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bass — low music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — in sport
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — for catching
  23. bowl — to roll
  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