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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. can — a tin
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. can — to be able to
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — a tin

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