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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: content · bark · mark · pound · leaves · bulb · lean · present

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. present — there
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — happy
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — thin
  14. pound — a weight
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. bulb — for light
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. present — the time now
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — a gift
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mark — a trace

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