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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.

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: wound · cell · rush · scale · pop · bark · craft · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — boats
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pop — music
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. craft — a skill
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wound — an injury
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rush — hurry

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