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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.

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: lean · bark · firm · mate · mine · saw · bear · temple

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — to breed
  9. firm — steady
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bear — the animal
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lean — thin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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