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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. pop — soda
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — to visit
  14. present — there
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. present — the time now
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — music
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. craft — boats
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. spell — magic
  24. row — a line

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