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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — army training
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. net — for catching
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. file — a line of people
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — after costs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — a practice
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. net — in sport
  24. file — a document

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