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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.

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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: pass · nail · leaves · file · cell · prune · bark · arm

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. file — a document
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — a phone
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pass — a permit
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bark — to shout
  24. pass — to spend time

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