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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. pass — a permit
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. file — a tool
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. stock — goods
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — for catching
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bark — to shout
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wax — to grow

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