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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: foot · cabinet · temple · racket · chip · bark · wake · cold

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cold — an illness
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cold — not warm
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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