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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. file — a document
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — letters
  10. file — a tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — a short time
  14. firm — decided
  15. spell — magic
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — to recline
  19. file — a line of people
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bark — to shout
  24. firm — a company

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