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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 116 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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. hand — help
  6. firm — decided
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bark — to shout
  10. last — final
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. last — finally
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. last — to go on
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rock — music
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. stand — to bear

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