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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: leaves · net · bank · lean · firm · can · chest · bark

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — for money
  4. firm — decided
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lean — thin
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. bank — for money
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. bank — of a river
  16. lean — to bend
  17. net — for catching
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. net — in sport
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. can — a tin

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