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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — thin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — letters
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lean — to bend
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bore — to tire
  18. chip — for betting
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — a container

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