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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. firm — decided
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mark — a trace
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. firm — steady
  17. bark — to shout
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. row — to paddle
  20. firm — a company
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — a line
  23. bark — of a tree
  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