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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — in a road
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — moving air
  7. craft — boats
  8. kick — in football
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fine — all right
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wind — moving air

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