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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.

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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: stick · rock · craft · bark · rash · mug · rule · deal

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — a cup
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rock — music
  14. rash — hasty
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rule — government
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mug — a face
  24. deal — a big deal

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