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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — hasty
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. last — to go on
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — a series
  12. can — to be able to
  13. ground — crushed
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — finally
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. perch — for a bird

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