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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. toast — bread
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — for digging
  14. file — a tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. file — a line of people
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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