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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.

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: trunk · calf · perch · net · patient · bark · rash · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fall — the season
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rash — hasty
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — for catching
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. net — after costs
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — a series
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — the fish
  23. calf — a young animal
  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