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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. season — in sport
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rash — a series
  7. season — of the year
  8. ball — a great time
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bark — to shout
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — hasty
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. can — a tin
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. craft — boats
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. saw — the tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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