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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. plane — a tool
  8. craft — boats
  9. board — to get on
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a committee
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bark — to shout
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. board — a flat piece

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