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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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rule — a law
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. craft — a skill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. firm — steady
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. firm — decided
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — boats
  15. rule — government
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bark — to shout

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