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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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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: perch · bark · cap · deal · track · face · land · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cap — a hat
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. track — a path
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bark — to shout
  11. land — a country
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. land — ground
  15. face — to confront
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cap — of ice
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a lid
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. track — a song

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