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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 120 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: bark · chip · hide · cabinet · spell · fan · pound · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — to eat
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. last — to go on
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — magic
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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