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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: can · fall · content · bark · track · stem · lean · charge

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. content — happy
  5. can — a tin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — the season
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — in control
  13. track — a song
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. track — to keep track
  16. charge — electricity
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. content — the amount
  21. can — to be able to
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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