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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — a trace
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — a short time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — in football
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. face — to confront
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bark — to shout
  23. spell — magic
  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