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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stock — shares
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stock — goods
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — a division
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. saw — the tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — boats
  24. branch — of a bank

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