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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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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 · lie · pass · chip · stick · mouse · wound · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pass — a permit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chip — for betting
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — to eat
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mouse — the 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