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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. lean — thin
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. jam — in traffic

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