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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: foot · file · leaves · coach · jam · rush · bark · wound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. file — a line of people
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. leaves — lets stay

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