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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a line of people
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. file — a document
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stock — goods
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wound — an injury
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. race — the arms race
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. bark — to shout
  18. race — a contest
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stock — shares
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. plane — a tool
  24. foot — part of the body

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