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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · saw · mug · lean · wake · bass · bay

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. mug — a face
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — to shout
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. lean — thin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bass — low music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — to rob
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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