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

Word bank: lean · chest · ruler · perch · bark · snap · toast · bore

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. chest — a box
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. toast — bread
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lean — thin
  10. bore — to tire
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to drill
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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