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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.

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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: mark · trunk · march · bark · prune · bear · stick · lean

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bear — the animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bear — the animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. march — the month

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