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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. rash — a series
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. rash — hasty
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. wind — moving air
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ground — a position
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kick — a thrill

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