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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: wake · fan · bark · can · face · lean · chair · suit

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. face — to point toward
  6. can — a tin
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lean — thin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — in cards
  16. face — part of the head
  17. lean — to bend
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bark — to shout
  24. face — to confront

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