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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: ruler · bark · swing · lean · date · bear · firm · craft

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — boats
  3. swing — music
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — to shout
  14. swing — to play on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. lean — thin
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. date — the fruit

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