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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lean — to bend
  9. face — to confront
  10. rash — hasty
  11. face — part of the head
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. scale — in music
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bark — to shout
  16. drill — army training
  17. scale — size or range
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — thin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chip — to eat
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rash — a series
  24. fan — a supporter

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