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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. net — after costs
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. tear — from crying
  8. object — to protest
  9. perch — the fish
  10. object — an aim
  11. net — in sport
  12. bark — to shout
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. spell — a short time
  15. tear — to rip
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. spell — letters
  18. object — a thing
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — clothes
  21. net — for catching
  22. spell — magic
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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