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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — to shout
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. shower — to wash
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. shower — rain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — a box
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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