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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. staff — employees
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — a skill
  8. track — to keep track
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. band — a music group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. band — a ring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. bound — certain

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