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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 116 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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. key — in music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bark — to shout
  7. present — there
  8. shower — rain
  9. last — to go on
  10. wake — a trail
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. present — a gift
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. last — finally
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. present — the time now
  21. last — final
  22. lean — thin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — of a tree

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