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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.

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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: lean · rock · club · fall · deal · staff · bark · track

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — music
  5. track — a song
  6. bark — to shout
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. deal — to handle
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fall — the season
  13. club — a group
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — to keep track
  16. club — for golf
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. staff — employees
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. track — a path
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lean — thin

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