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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · key · track · lean · arm · pound · bark · leaves

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. track — a song
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pound — a weight
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bark — to shout
  17. key — in music
  18. lean — thin
  19. track — a path
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. key — for a lock
  24. leaves — lets stay

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