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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chip — for betting
  18. face — to confront
  19. mark — a grade
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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