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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 120 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. craft — a skill
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. vault — a safe
  10. craft — boats
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. shower — to wash
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bark — to shout
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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