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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. craft — boats
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — there
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. present — the time now
  9. snap — to click
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — a gift
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rash — a series
  22. mark — a trace
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — with your hand

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