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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stand — to bear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. shower — to wash
  18. craft — boats
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — rain
  24. chip — for betting

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