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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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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 · lean · cap · bank · ruler · bark · bay · nail

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lean — thin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cap — a hat
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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