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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · chip · object · bark · leaves · kid · can · mine

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. can — to be able to
  4. mine — for digging
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. kid — child
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. can — a tin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — to tease
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — for betting
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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