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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bark — to shout
  3. file — a tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. file — a line of people
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — army training
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. safe — out of danger

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