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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. craft — boats
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bound — obliged
  18. game — a match
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bound — certain
  24. straw — a straw man

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