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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: lean · wake · march · rock · bark · hide · court · branch

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. branch — a division
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. court — of law
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. court — of a king
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. march — music
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. court — for sport
  21. march — the month
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lean — to bend

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