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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: file · craft · temple · snap · bark · roll · key · press

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. file — a tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — the most important part
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — boats
  11. press — a publisher
  12. file — a line of people
  13. roll — a list
  14. press — newspapers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. key — in music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bark — to shout
  22. roll — a cake
  23. press — to push
  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