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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — to shout
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. capital — a city
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. rock — a stone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — a sick person

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