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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: mate · snap · stem · lean · face · perch · bark · ruler

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — thin
  3. stem — to come from
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bark — to shout
  7. face — to confront
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — to breed
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. snap — to click
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. mate — a friend
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ruler — for measuring

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