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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. craft — boats
  3. row — a line
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. track — a song
  6. net — for catching
  7. row — to paddle
  8. net — after costs
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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