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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: shower · kick · leaves · lie · bark · rush · perch · safe

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — the fish
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — to wash
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. shower — rain
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lie — to recline

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