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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. clip — for paper
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. clip — a video
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — a friend
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bark — to shout
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — the fish

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