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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. charge — a price
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. craft — a skill
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. craft — boats
  9. foot — a measure
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kick — in football
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. key — the most important part
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. spring — the season
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. spring — a coil
  23. key — in music
  24. spring — of water

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