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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. file — a document
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. toast — bread
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. file — a tool
  18. toast — the most admired

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