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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. scale — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. craft — boats
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. scale — size or range
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. craft — a skill

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