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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bark — to shout
  5. branch — a division
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. track — to keep track
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — a song
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. craft — a skill
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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