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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · drill · suit · land · bark · wind · craft · branch

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wind — moving air
  10. drill — a practice
  11. craft — boats
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bark — to shout
  18. drill — the tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. suit — to fit
  22. wind — moving air
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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