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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. suit — clothes
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — for paper
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. clip — to cut
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. suit — to fit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. clip — a video
  16. saw — the tool
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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