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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: last · hide · bark · lean · kick · chip · band · roll

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chip — for betting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. bark — to shout
  8. band — a music group
  9. roll — a list
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. last — final
  12. roll — a cake
  13. last — finally
  14. lean — to bend
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. last — to go on
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. band — a ring
  21. lean — thin
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. hide — to keep secret

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