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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. face — to confront
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mug — to rob
  6. march — the month
  7. mug — a face
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. march — music
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. face — to point toward
  13. mug — a cup
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. branch — a division
  18. march — the month
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — to grow
  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