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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. board — a committee
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. tear — from crying
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wake — a trail
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — to crush
  17. craft — boats
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — clever
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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