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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cold · current · file · bound · saw · bowl · cabinet · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. file — a tool
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bark — to shout
  9. current — of water
  10. cold — not warm
  11. bound — certain
  12. file — a document
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. current — electric
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. saw — the tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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