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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: stick · bear · plane · file · bark · nail · spell · chip

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. file — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — letters
  14. file — a line of people
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — magic
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. file — a document
  24. nail — for a hammer

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