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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. file — a document
  4. drill — the tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — an aim
  8. file — a tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — a practice
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. drill — army training
  16. bark — to shout
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. object — a thing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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