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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: snap · bark · rash · ruler · shower · chip · lie · bound

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bound — obliged
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rash — hasty
  15. bound — certain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bark — to shout
  18. shower — rain
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. snap — to click
  22. rash — a series
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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