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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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 — a dog's sound
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a tool
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — happy
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a document
  16. suit — in cards
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. content — the amount
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rock — a stone

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