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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. craft — boats
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pass — a permit
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. drill — army training
  12. band — a ring
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. sharp — clever
  16. lie — to recline
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. band — a music group
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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