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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 116 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — a gift
  7. spell — letters
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. present — there
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — a tin
  12. bark — to shout
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — the time now
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chip — to eat
  22. mate — a friend
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — to be able to

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