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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 124 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. scale — in music
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bark — to shout
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a document
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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