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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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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: current · bark · fall · stem · perch · craft · board · hide

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — a committee
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. current — happening now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — to shout
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — electric
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — to get on
  16. craft — a skill
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — of water
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fall — the season
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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