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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tear — to rip
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click

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