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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: bark · pass · wake · spring · straw · stock · calf · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — to shout
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stock — goods
  12. pass — a permit
  13. craft — boats
  14. spring — of water
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stock — shares
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — the season

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