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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. face — to confront
  6. bank — of a river
  7. game — a match
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. face — part of the head
  12. wax — to grow
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — the fish
  16. face — to point toward
  17. snap — to click
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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