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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · bark · present · mouse · file · straw · plane · current

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. current — electric
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. current — happening now
  10. squash — the sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. current — of water
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. file — a document
  24. plane — a tool

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