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

Word bank: deal · craft · bound · firm · bark · fall · suit · last

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — final
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — certain
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — decided
  18. suit — clothes
  19. firm — a company
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. last — to go on
  23. suit — in cards
  24. last — finally

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