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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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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 · bank · cold · key · chip · deal · rule · wax

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bank — for money
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — to eat
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — to shout
  17. key — in music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rule — government
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rule — to rule out

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