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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: bulb · bark · stick · perch · wave · hide · chair · land

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. land — a country
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bulb — for light
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chair — a leader
  12. land — to come down
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chair — a professorship

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