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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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