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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: content · snap · fine · bowl · bark · coach · lean · deal

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. deal — to handle
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. lean — thin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. content — happy
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bark — to shout
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. deal — a big deal

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