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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 116 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. tube — a container
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. branch — a division
  14. file — a tool
  15. court — of law
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. court — of a king
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — to come from
  24. branch — of a bank

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