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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 120 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: dip · file · bark · ball · bowl · squash · hide · fall

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. file — a line of people
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — to sink
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fall — to drop
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bark — to shout
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bark — of a tree

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