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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 rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. file — a document
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. craft — boats
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a skill
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — clever
  14. land — to come down
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. board — a committee
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. land — a country
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. land — ground
  22. lie — to recline
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of a car

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