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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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 — a dog's sound
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — the season
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bank — of a river
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a skill

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