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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. row — a line
  4. bark — to shout
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bank — of a river
  12. deal — to handle
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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