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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: pound · craft · lie · chest · patient · squash · bark · perch

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. craft — boats
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bark — to shout
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chest — a box
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — to recline
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chest — of your body

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