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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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chip — to eat
  3. firm — a company
  4. present — the time now
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mug — a face
  7. chip — for betting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mug — a cup
  17. cold — an illness
  18. firm — steady
  19. cold — not warm
  20. present — there
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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