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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. mug — a cup
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. content — happy
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. content — the amount
  15. bark — to shout
  16. craft — boats
  17. mug — a face
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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