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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. craft — boats
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rash — a series
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the instrument

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