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

Word bank: file · cell · club · ball · face · bark · safe · stick

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. file — a tool
  13. club — for golf
  14. face — to confront
  15. cell — in biology
  16. file — a document
  17. face — part of the head
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a dance
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — to shout
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bark — of a tree

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