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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a face
  7. firm — steady
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bore — to drill
  12. hand — help
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. firm — decided
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a cup
  24. firm — a company

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