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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. file — a document
  3. mug — to rob
  4. cap — a lid
  5. file — a line of people
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — soda
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. cap — of ice
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a tool
  18. pop — music
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fall — to drop
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fall — the season

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