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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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 — the fish
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — to shout
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rest — what's left
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. rest — what's left
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rest — a break
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. kick — in football
  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