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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. file — a document
  3. shower — rain
  4. file — a line of people
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bark — to shout
  17. face — to confront
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — for money
  21. tube — a container
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bank — of a river
  24. shower — to wash

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