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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: bark · firm · kick · cold · hand · chip · pass · face

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. chip — to eat
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. face — part of the head
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bark — to shout
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cold — an illness
  13. kick — in football
  14. cold — not warm
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. pass — to succeed
  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