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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: bark · spring · arm · can · ball · file · board · nail

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ball — a dance
  3. file — a document
  4. can — a tin
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. can — a tin
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spring — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a committee
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spring — a coil
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — to be able to

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