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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · chip · wake · bark · firm · rush · hide · sharp

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. firm — steady
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fall — the season
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bark — to shout
  21. firm — decided
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. firm — a company

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