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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tear — from crying
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — boats
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — to bear
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. scale — in music
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to click
  22. tear — from crying
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. tear — to rip

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