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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: bound · bark · trunk · stem · fan · craft · staff · drill

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. stem — to come from
  7. drill — a practice
  8. craft — boats
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. drill — the tool
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bound — obliged
  18. drill — army training
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bound — tied together
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — certain
  23. bark — to shout
  24. craft — a skill

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