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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — help
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. toast — bread
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. spell — letters
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chip — for betting
  23. staff — a stick
  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