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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. craft — boats
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. plane — a tool
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — the underground
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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