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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: kick · bowl · wave · track · lean · key · chest · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lean — thin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — in football
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. lean — to bend
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — in music
  22. track — to keep track
  23. chest — a box
  24. bark — to shout

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