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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: present · trunk · chip · staff · row · hide · wake · bark

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chip — for betting
  3. present — the time now
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. present — there
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. staff — employees
  11. wake — a trail
  12. row — a line
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. staff — a stick
  15. present — a gift
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — to paddle
  24. chip — to eat

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