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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — music
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. object — an aim
  5. drill — a practice
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. present — a gift
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. present — there
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — to shout
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. drill — the tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. object — to protest
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. object — a thing
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. drill — army training
  23. rock — a stone
  24. craft — boats

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