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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rash — hasty
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cue — a hint
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rash — a series
  16. file — a line of people
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. file — a tool
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ground — a position
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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