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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — clever
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fine — all right
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — boats

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