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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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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 · can · fork · file · perch · stand · snap · wind

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. file — a line of people
  5. file — a document
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. can — a tin
  8. bark — to shout
  9. file — a tool
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. snap — to click
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fork — in a road

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