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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 116 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: face · bark · wave · wound · lean · board · deal · calf

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. face — to confront
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — to get on
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. face — part of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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