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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. capital — a city
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. roll — a list
  13. capital — money
  14. craft — boats
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pass — a permit
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. roll — a cake
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — music

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