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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 116 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: bark · ruler · rock · track · lean · file · staff · game

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a document
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. staff — employees
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. track — a song
  17. file — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lean — thin
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rock — music
  23. game — wild animals
  24. ruler — a monarch

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