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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. spell — letters
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spell — magic
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rule — government
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rule — a law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. object — a thing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a lid

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