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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: bay · pit · face · wave · swing · file · bark · key

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. key — in music
  3. file — a tool
  4. bark — to shout
  5. file — a document
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. swing — music
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pit — in a race
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. face — to confront
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. face — to point toward

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