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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 116 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
468
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: club · fine · mine · saw · lean · net · stick · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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 — of a tree
  3. net — for catching
  4. club — for golf
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fine — high quality
  7. net — after costs
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. club — a group
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. net — in sport
  15. bark — to shout
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — thin
  22. fine — all right
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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