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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.

Make a worksheet

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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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: leaves · wind · kick · cap · can · club · row · bark

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. cap — a lid
  3. row — a line
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wind — moving air
  8. club — for golf
  9. kick — in football
  10. row — to paddle
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wind — moving air
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bark — to shout
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kick — a thrill

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