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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. perch — the fish
  6. march — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. march — the month
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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