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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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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: spell · wake · face · rash · root · bark · kid · chip

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spell — a short time
  3. root — the cause
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. face — to confront
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — letters
  15. kid — child
  16. root — of a plant
  17. face — to point toward
  18. chip — for betting
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — magic
  21. root — of a word
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — to eat
  24. rash — on the skin

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