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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 120 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: bark · perch · bay · straw · rest · charge · wax · kick

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rest — a break
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — a price
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — in football
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. perch — the fish
  23. charge — electricity
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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