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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.

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: wake · nail · row · bowl · bark · file · lean · rock

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a document
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — a line
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. file — a tool
  15. rock — music
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. row — to paddle
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. file — a line of people

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