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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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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: rash · lie · bat · chip · stick · firm · wind · bark

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. chip — for betting
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — a series
  8. bark — to shout
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. firm — decided
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — a company
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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