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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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. cap — of ice
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. hand — help
  13. cap — a lid
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. lean — thin
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cap — a hat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bark — to shout

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