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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. capital — money
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. capital — a city
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — for sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rock — a stone
  18. court — of law
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rock — music
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. craft — a skill
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rock — to move gently

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