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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. trunk — of a tree

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