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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: stem · dip · pound · bark · nail · lean · staff · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. staff — a stick
  17. stem — to come from
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. dip — to sink

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