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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — to visit
  7. craft — boats
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — music
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cabinet — ministers

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