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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stock — shares
  7. face — to point toward
  8. spell — letters
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spell — magic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — to confront
  15. stock — goods
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fan — a supporter

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