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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mine — for digging
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rest — a break
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rash — a series
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rock — music
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hide — to keep secret

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