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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: wave · pitcher · bark · perch · deal · bear · bulb · wind

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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