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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — for betting
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pop — soda
  6. chip — to eat
  7. object — to protest
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — an aim
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. object — a thing
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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