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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: bound · kid · lie · season · fan · bark · perch · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. kid — child
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — certain
  9. kid — to tease
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bark — to shout
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bound — tied together
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. perch — for a bird

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