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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: chip · bark · can · staff · cold · hand · lean · ruler

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — to eat
  8. hand — help
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lean — to bend
  16. cold — an illness
  17. can — to be able to
  18. staff — employees
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. cold — not warm
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chip — in a computer

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