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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: track · dip · row · hide · bark · season · chair · lean

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. chair — a leader
  9. dip — to sink
  10. track — a song
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — of the year
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. season — in sport
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. track — a path
  21. lean — thin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a line
  24. hide — animal skin

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