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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. pop — soda
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — to eat
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. season — of the year
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. can — to be able to
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. season — in sport
  19. cell — in biology
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cell — a phone

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