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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. hand — help
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. craft — boats
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cell — a phone
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. craft — a skill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cell — in biology
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. coach — a trainer

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