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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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 — a dog's sound
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lean — to bend
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wake — a trail
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. lean — thin
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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