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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.

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: file · fork · spring · firm · mine · leaves · bark · date

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. date — the fruit
  4. file — a document
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — the season
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a tool
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. firm — a company
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. spring — of water
  24. leaves — lets stay

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