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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bark — to shout
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. capital — a city
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lean — thin
  10. capital — money
  11. firm — a company
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — a stone
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. kick — in football

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