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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: wake · craft · bore · leaves · cabinet · file · current · bark

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. current — of water
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — boats
  7. current — electric
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bark — to shout
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a tool
  24. craft — a skill

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