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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. chip — for betting
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rash — hasty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rash — a series
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  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