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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. rock — music
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a cup
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fall — the season
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. stock — shares
  23. file — a tool
  24. stock — goods

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