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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rash — hasty
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rash — a series
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — in sport
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cap — a lid
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cap — of ice

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