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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.

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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 · hide · chip · object · stand · jam · kick · foot

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — in football
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. object — an aim
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — to bear
  18. chip — to eat
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. object — a thing
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — the bottom

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