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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — boats
  5. roll — a list
  6. spell — letters
  7. file — a line of people
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. spell — a short time
  11. craft — a skill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. roll — a cake
  16. file — a document
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spell — magic
  21. file — a tool
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — a tin

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