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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: cap · pound · content · lean · rush · craft · lie · bark

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. craft — boats
  5. lean — to bend
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bark — to shout
  8. content — happy
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. content — the amount
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. pound — a weight
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. cap — a lid
  21. lean — thin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cap — a hat

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