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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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 — of a tree
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. file — a document
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — of water
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. bark — to shout
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. file — a tool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. saw — the tool
  20. branch — a division
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rest — what's left
  24. current — electric

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