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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: bark · roll · file · bear · staff · wave · cue · firm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. firm — steady
  4. bear — the animal
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. file — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. roll — a list
  16. firm — decided
  17. file — a document
  18. cue — a hint
  19. staff — employees
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — a company

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