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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — for light
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. craft — boats
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. date — the fruit

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