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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. deal — to handle
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. shower — rain
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. craft — boats

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