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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — the time now
  3. rest — what's left
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rest — a break
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. present — there

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