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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 116 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: wake · bark · perch · coach · track · mug · saw · face

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bark — to shout
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to confront
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. saw — the tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — a face
  20. perch — the fish
  21. track — a song
  22. wake — a trail
  23. saw — the tool
  24. face — part of the head

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