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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: swing · craft · bark · wake · stick · bank · row · pass

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. wake — a trail
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. swing — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pass — a permit
  10. row — a line
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. swing — to play on
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bank — for money
  16. swing — in golf
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bark — of a tree

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