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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. firm — a company
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rash — hasty
  8. press — to push
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — newspapers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. craft — a skill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — steady
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. cold — not warm
  20. firm — decided
  21. craft — boats
  22. rash — a series
  23. track — a path
  24. bark — 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