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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. present — the time now
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. row — a line
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. row — to paddle
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. present — there
  13. bark — to shout
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. present — a gift
  24. hide — animal skin

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