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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — help
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. file — a tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — to protest
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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