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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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Word bank
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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: snap · arm · present · bark · season · lean

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — the time now
  6. season — in sport
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — to bend
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. snap — to speak sharply

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