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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: saw · bat · calf · patient · stick · bass · bark · file

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bark — to shout
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — low music
  16. bat — the animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — in an idiom

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