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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pit — in a race
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spring — of water
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. spring — a coil
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. spring — the season
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bark — to shout
  20. tear — to rip
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. mine — for digging
  24. craft — a skill

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