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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: net · cell · deal · mouse · object · perch · bark · lash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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. perch — for a bird
  4. bark — to shout
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. net — after costs
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. net — in sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. net — for catching
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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