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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: cabinet · bark · field · nail · bank · stick · temple · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — for sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. field — farmland
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. field — a subject
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. temple — a place of worship

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