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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. file — a tool
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. branch — a division
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. file — a document
  17. foot — a measure
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — part of the body

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