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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — boats
  8. last — final
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kid — to tease
  13. branch — a division
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kid — child
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. last — finally
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fall — the season
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. board — a committee
  23. last — to go on
  24. craft — a skill

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