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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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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: saw · calf · firm · fine · wound · perch · sharp · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — all right
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wound — an injury
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. sharp — clever
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bark — to shout
  20. firm — steady
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fine — high quality

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