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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pop — to visit
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bear — the animal
  13. shower — to wash
  14. vault — a safe
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. shower — rain

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