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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 116 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 · bank · stem · pound · bass · bark · snap · season

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — to bend
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — thin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. season — in sport
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bark — to shout
  16. snap — to click
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. stem — to come from
  21. season — of the year
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bark — of a tree

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