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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. club — for golf
  3. craft — a skill
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bark — to shout
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. mug — a face
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mug — a cup
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. stand — on your feet

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