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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. season — of the year
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. file — a document
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. shower — rain
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — in cards
  20. shower — to wash
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. scale — in music

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