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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 120 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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Word bank
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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. rule — a law
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fine — high quality
  12. craft — boats
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fine — all right
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rule — government
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. file — a document

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