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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — a stone
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — for sport
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. present — there
  11. file — a line of people
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rock — music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. file — a tool
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. present — the time now
  23. court — of a king
  24. present — a gift

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