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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: kick · can · bark · row · mouse · fan · lean · dip

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. row — a line
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kick — in football
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. row — to paddle
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  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