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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: bark · lean · face · present · mine · firm · safe · content

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lean — to bend
  12. present — the time now
  13. face — part of the head
  14. present — there
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. face — to confront
  17. firm — steady
  18. present — a gift
  19. bark — to shout
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. firm — decided
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. content — happy

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