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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. vault — a safe
  4. branch — a division
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — decided
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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