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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · snap · branch · bark · craft · ruler · scale · toast

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. craft — a skill
  7. scale — in music
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. craft — boats
  10. row — a line
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. toast — bread
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. branch — a division
  20. row — to paddle
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. scale — size or range
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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