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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 · calf · hide · shower · suit · staff · stick · chip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — to wash
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. shower — rain
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. calf — a young animal

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