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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: prune · content · fan · pound · bark · hide · mark · lean

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bark — to shout
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mark — a grade
  13. content — the amount
  14. lean — thin
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — for dogs

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