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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: present · nail · lean · bear · bark · field · coach · current

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. current — electric
  6. bark — to shout
  7. field — for sport
  8. present — there
  9. present — a gift
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — a subject
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. current — of water
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. lean — thin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — farmland
  21. present — the time now
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — happening now
  24. lean — to bend

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