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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. row — to paddle
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rest — a break
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — for digging
  16. file — a document
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. row — a line
  21. rest — what's left
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. file — a tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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