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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: game · perch · stick · tear · plane · calf · bark · deal

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. perch — the fish
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. game — a match
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. tear — to rip
  17. plane — a tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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