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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: foot · drill · key · file · craft · prune · saw · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. key — for a lock
  4. prune — to trim
  5. foot — a measure
  6. craft — a skill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. drill — army training
  14. key — the most important part
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — a practice
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. key — in music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. saw — the tool
  24. craft — a handicraft

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