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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. object — a thing
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. object — to protest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wake — a trail
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — a permit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. branch — a division

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