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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pop — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. craft — boats
  8. staff — employees
  9. toast — bread
  10. prune — to trim
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — to shout
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. staff — employees
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. staff — a stick
  22. chest — of your body
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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