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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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