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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: spring · bank · fine · bark · file · calf · key · arm

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — in music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spring — the season
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. spring — a coil
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fine — all right
  20. file — a line of people
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. key — for a lock

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