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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: hide · lean · mate · chip · bark · net · saw · wake

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. mate — a partner
  2. chip — to eat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — for catching
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — to breed
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — after costs
  23. chip — for betting
  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