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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. race — humankind
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — a tin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bark — to shout
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. race — a contest
  23. saw — the tool
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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