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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: mouse · shower · stock · trunk · craft · rush · bark · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. craft — a skill
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — rain
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — boats
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stock — shares
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mouse — the animal

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