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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
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: ball · clip · bark · safe · bass · file · cell · trunk

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. clip — a video
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. clip — for paper
  5. file — a document
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — low music
  8. ball — a dance
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — to cut
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ball — a great time
  22. file — a tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bass — the instrument

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