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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: rest · firm · rock · mine · hide · bound · lean · bark

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bound — tied together
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. rest — a break
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rock — a stone
  15. firm — steady
  16. lean — thin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — certain
  19. firm — a company
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. firm — decided
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — obliged
  24. hide — to keep secret

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