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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kid — to tease
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a tool
  6. kid — child
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. file — a document
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fine — high quality
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — a cake
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. file — a line of people
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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