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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — a committee
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. chest — a box
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cap — a hat
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cap — of ice
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. file — a tool
  19. branch — a division
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. board — to get on
  24. bark — to shout

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