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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a document
  8. chip — for betting
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. cell — in biology
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chip — to eat
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bark — of a tree

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