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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chip — to eat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wind — moving air
  9. object — a thing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wind — moving air
  12. chip — for betting
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. object — an aim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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