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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ball — a dance
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ball — a great time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stock — shares
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stock — goods
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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