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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bark — to shout
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — in sport
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. craft — boats
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cap — of ice

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