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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · pound · chest · coach · bark · lean

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. chest — a box
  10. rule — a law
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rule — government
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. lean — to rest against

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