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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: mark · arm · chip · bark · straw · dip · hand · suit

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bark — to shout
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hand — help
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chip — for betting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mark — a grade
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a trace

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