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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chip — for betting
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spell — a short time
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — to eat
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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