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

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. foot — a measure
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. chip — for betting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chip — to eat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fall — the season

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