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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — a short time
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. content — the amount
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. root — the cause
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. wound — an injury
  17. can — a tin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. content — happy
  23. bark — to shout
  24. can — a tin

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