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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 120 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.

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: saw · stick · spring · file · suit · cue · bark · temple

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — a signal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spring — the season
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. saw — the tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cue — for pool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. suit — clothes
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spring — of water

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