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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. spell — letters
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — magic
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fall — the season
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement

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