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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. present — there
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hand — help
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. branch — a division
  15. pop — music
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. pop — soda
  24. file — a line of people

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