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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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. craft — boats
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — to shout
  10. spell — magic
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — the fish
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. land — to come down
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — ground
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. land — a country
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. leaves — lets stay

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