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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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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 · clip · board · cue · safe · file · pound · lash

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. board — a committee
  5. clip — to cut
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. board — to get on
  12. pound — a weight
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bark — to shout
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cue — a signal
  19. file — a document
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. clip — a video
  23. file — a tool
  24. clip — for paper

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