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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: suit · cell · rock · fall · craft · arm · stand · bark

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. craft — boats
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fall — the season
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. cell — in biology
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a skill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — in cards
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  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