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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. clip — for paper
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bark — to shout
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. file — a tool

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