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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — clothes
  16. hand — help
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — to grow
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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