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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. shower — to wash
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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