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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chest — a box
  10. craft — boats
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — for money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — a skill
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. scale — in music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chest — of your body
  24. leaves — to go away

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