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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: bowl · fall · fan · key · bark · straw · craft · stick

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fall — the season
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. key — the most important part
  24. fall — to drop

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