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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: arm · bark · plane · track · bound · perch · rock · dip

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. track — a song
  5. rock — a stone
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bound — certain
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bound — obliged
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. track — a path
  19. plane — a tool
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bound — tied together
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. perch — for a bird

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