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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: pound · wake · fan · staff · craft · deal · wound · bark

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — a trail
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. pound — a weight
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. deal — to handle
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wake — before a funeral

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