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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. craft — a skill
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. row — a line
  15. row — to paddle
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. suit — in cards
  24. craft — a handicraft

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