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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. rule — government
  4. band — a music group
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — to eat
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. band — a ring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chip — for betting
  21. can — a tin
  22. rule — a law
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bark — to shout

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