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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: temple · wake · perch · hand · calf · stick · chest · bark

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — a trail
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chest — of your body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. hand — help
  12. chest — a box
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. calf — a young animal

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