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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. last — final
  4. rush — hurry
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. last — finally
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. file — a document
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — to shout
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. file — a line of people
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. last — to go on
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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