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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. object — an aim
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bark — to shout
  6. object — a thing
  7. file — a tool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. row — to paddle
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. sharp — clever
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fine — a penalty

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