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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: wave · net · stick · bark · content · bay · present · mine

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. present — there
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. content — happy
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. present — the time now
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — a gift

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