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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: tear · cue · bark · lash · perch · object · wake · foot

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. wake — a trail
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tear — from crying
  22. object — a thing
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. foot — part of the body

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