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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. suit — to fit
  3. file — a line of people
  4. branch — a division
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. file — a tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — in football
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. craft — boats
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. suit — in cards
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. row — to paddle
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. craft — a skill

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