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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. craft — a skill
  8. last — finally
  9. sharp — clever
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. squash — to crush
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. squash — the sport
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. content — the amount
  18. last — final
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bark — to shout
  21. content — happy
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. craft — boats
  24. last — to go on

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