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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 120 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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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: plane · face · mouse · straw · bark · perch · deal · arm

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — to handle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. face — to point toward
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. face — to confront
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mouse — 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