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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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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bark — to shout
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. season — of the year
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. file — a document
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bat — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes

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