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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: snap · calf · cell · bark · bank · season · object · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bark — to shout
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. season — in sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — a phone
  16. object — to protest
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — an aim
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. season — of the year
  23. snap — to click
  24. perch — the fish

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