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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — a path
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. suit — to fit
  7. track — to keep track
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. staff — a stick
  13. face — part of the head
  14. craft — a skill
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — a division
  17. craft — boats
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. file — a document
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bark — to shout
  24. face — to confront

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