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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · mouse · sharp · file · can · bay · wound · stem

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. can — to be able to
  5. file — a line of people
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. file — a tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. file — a document
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wound — an injury
  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