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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: lie · bass · bore · game · perch · firm · spring · bark

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. firm — a company
  5. bore — to tire
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. spring — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. game — a match
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bark — to shout
  18. spring — of water
  19. perch — the fish
  20. firm — steady
  21. spring — a coil
  22. firm — decided
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bore — to drill

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