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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. craft — a skill
  3. object — to protest
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. object — a thing
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — boats
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rock — music
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. press — a publisher
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bark — to shout
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — of a tree

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