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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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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: march · bank · spell · bark · lie · current · lean · object

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. current — of water
  3. object — to protest
  4. current — happening now
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spell — magic
  11. march — the month
  12. object — an aim
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bank — of a river
  19. object — a thing
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — electric
  23. march — music
  24. lean — to bend

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