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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 120 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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — for digging
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pop — soda
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cabinet — ministers

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