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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · fall · deal · spell · bark · fan · kid · bass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kid — to tease
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fall — the season
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. spell — magic
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — child
  22. bass — the fish
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spell — letters

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