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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · key · mate · rush · bowl · mine · lean · leaves

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. key — in music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rush — hurry

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