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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. chip — to eat
  3. staff — a stick
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bound — obliged
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. staff — employees
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. wax — to grow
  22. press — to push
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wax — in the ear

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