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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. craft — boats
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — a law
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. stock — goods
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rule — government
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — moving air
  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