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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. chest — of your body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — to rob
  14. chest — a box
  15. march — the month
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. can — to be able to

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