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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. perch — the fish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — a trace
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. face — part of the head
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. face — to confront

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