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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: pop · date · bank · lean · spring · bark · coach · firm

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. firm — decided
  3. spring — a coil
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. firm — a company
  11. lean — thin
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spring — the season
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pop — music
  24. firm — steady

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