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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: staff · coach · craft · bark · march · clip · lash · bore

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bark — to shout
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. staff — employees
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bore — to drill
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. clip — to cut
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. march — the month
  17. craft — boats
  18. staff — a stick
  19. clip — for paper
  20. march — music
  21. clip — a video
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. bore — gave birth

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