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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 116 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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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: wake · bark · wave · last · lie · bear · chip · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. last — final
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chip — to eat
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. chip — for betting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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