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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. file — a line of people
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — a division
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. craft — boats
  20. cell — a phone
  21. file — a tool
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. temple — side of the head

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