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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · mine · kick · bear · sharp · can · bark · cabinet

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — in football
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bark — to shout
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — the animal

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