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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bore — to tire
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bark — to shout
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rule — a law
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rule — government
  21. bore — to drill
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bark — of a tree

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