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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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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: deal · bay · cell · mug · bark · chair · spell · wake

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — a face
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. spell — a short time

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