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

Word bank: bear · fall · rock · bowl · bark · dip · race · craft

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rock — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. dip — to sink
  17. craft — boats
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. race — humankind
  21. fall — the season
  22. race — a contest
  23. craft — a skill
  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