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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. present — a gift
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — to shout
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — a skill
  14. file — a tool
  15. present — there
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — a partner
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. craft — boats
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mate — to breed
  24. sharp — with an edge

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