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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: mine · suit · rock · bark · cold · chip · hide · roll

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  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. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — a stone
  7. roll — a list
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cold — not warm
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. rock — music
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cold — an illness
  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