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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chest — a box
  22. tube — a container
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — a penalty

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