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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · last · sharp · rash · mouse · bowl · chip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. fall — the season
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. last — finally
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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