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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: craft · fine · file · snap · spring · leaves · bark · rash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. spring — the season
  4. fine — high quality
  5. craft — a skill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bark — to shout
  9. spring — of water
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — boats
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — all right
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spring — a coil
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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