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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: bark · mouse · craft · rock · cell · patient · can · lean

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. can — a tin
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — to bend
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bark — to shout
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cell — a phone
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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