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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: season · rock · mark · mug · bark · ball · trunk · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a great time
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rock — music
  6. mug — to rob
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. season — in sport
  11. ball — a dance
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. season — of the year
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — to bend
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — a stone

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