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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 116 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. shower — rain
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bank — for money
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — to tire
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bank — for money
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fork — in a road

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