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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pop — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — there
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. squash — the sport
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — to crush
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. pop — soda
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bark — of a tree

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