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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: lean · bark · chair · foot · mate · nail · cap · can

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cap — of ice
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chair — a leader
  18. can — a tin
  19. mate — a friend
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mate — to breed

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