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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: bark · lean · object · date · rule · hide · key · content

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. object — an aim
  3. content — the amount
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. key — for a lock
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. content — happy
  11. object — to protest
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. date — the fruit
  14. rule — a law
  15. object — a thing
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bark — to shout
  21. lean — thin
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bark — of a tree

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