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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. content — the amount
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — to bear
  21. content — happy
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — to shout
  24. deal — to handle

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