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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fine — high quality
  3. craft — a skill
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. chair — a leader
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. craft — boats
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fine — all right
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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