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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 116 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: bark · spring · perch · key · staff · tear · bay · march

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spring — a coil
  6. march — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. key — for a lock
  9. staff — a stick
  10. spring — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. staff — employees
  18. key — in music
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. key — the most important part
  22. march — the month
  23. bark — to shout
  24. spring — the season

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