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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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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. craft — boats
  6. press — to push
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — rain
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. suit — clothes
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — low music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. press — a publisher
  24. suit — in cards

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