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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: trunk · fine · perch · ball · lie · stem · leaves · bark

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a great time
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fine — all right
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bark — of a tree

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