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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — to handle
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — money
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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